The rotor of such a laboratory centrifuge can be placed, within a housing, from above onto the end of a shaft or of an assembly fixedly connected thereto, which assembly is connected to a centrifuge drive. It is provided on the periphery with receivers intended for the insertion of vessels, into which the substances to be treated by centrifugation are received. Considering the high rotational speeds involved and the risk of accidents associated therewith, particular attention must be given to providing a reliable and operationally secure seat for the rotor on the shaft. Risks can arise owing to aerodynamic effects lifting the rotor from the shaft within the centrifuge housing, but also by a lateral impact thereon. Since different rotors are used, they are connected to the shaft in an exchangeable manner, wherein the effort and time required for mounting and removing a rotor can differ according to the constructional design of locking means located between the rotor and the shaft.
From the document WO 2010/025922 A1 a comparable rotor bearing is known in which a sleeve comprising a conical inner profile can be placed onto a vertically extending drive head comprising a complementarily conical outer profile. The drive head is provided with an arrangement of axially parallel pins which, in the placed position, protrude into corresponding apertures in the rotor and are intended to exert an entraining effect about the common axis of the rotor and drive head. The drive head further supports two mutually diametrically opposing coupling elements which can pivot about axes which are in parallel with each other and with the axis of the drive head against the force of a return spring, and which coupling elements lie, when the rotor is stationary, on an annular surface of the said sleeve and even in this position form a means of axially securing the placement position of the rotor. The annular surface is formed in a conical manner and in particular under the proviso that as the rotational speed of the rotor increases the said inner and outer profiles are drawn against each other into increasingly firm contact. Although the rotor can be mounted without the use of tools by mere placement onto the drive head, in order to remove it a pin-like actuating element provided with a push button is required to transfer the coupling elements, which are active even in the stationary condition, into a retracted position in which they no longer lie against the said annular surface. A not inconsiderable construction space is also required to house the coupling elements, their return springs and the actuating element.